Travel Blog

The Slow Road to Deadhorse

The Slow Road to Deadhorse - A Synopsis

An Englishman's journey through the heart of North America

The community of Deadhorse, Alaska (population 25) lies 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle, at the northern terminus of the Pan-American Highway, the longest road in the world. Key West, Florida, sits at the southern tip of the Florida Keys, an archipelago of coral islands jutting into the Caribbean warmth of the Mexican Gulf.

Between Key West and Deadhorse lies most of North America.

Driving the 5,500 miles between the two would typically take you on multi-lane interstate highways built to connect vast urban conurbations. Traffic. Service Stations. Industry. Throngs of people. Predictable retail outlets.

But what if you could avoid all the highways and take the backroads instead? What would you see? Who would you meet? What would you learn about the world and yourself?

It’s this I want to find out. So I’m adjusting my GPS settings to ‘Avoid Highways’, plugging in Deadhorse, Alaska and starting my adventure from Key West, Florida. I am to let an inanimate piece of technology guide me left-right through the byways, backroads, country lanes and mountain passes of this vast continent, dictating where I go, the people I meet, and the experiences I have.